Effects of changes in straw chemical properties and alkaline soils on bacterial communities engaged in straw decomposition at different temperatures.

Differences in the composition of a bacterial community engaged in decomposing wheat straw in a fluvo-aquic soil at 15 °C, 25 °C, and 35 °C were identified using barcode pyrosequencing. Functional carbon groups in the decomposing wheat straw were evaluated by (13)C-NMR (nuclear magnetic resonance). Actinobacteria and Firmicutes were more abundant, whereas Alphaproteobacteria and Bacteroidetes were less abundant, at higher temperatures during the later stages of decomposition.

Identification and characterization of the cDNA sequence encoding amelogenin in rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus).

Amelogenins, the most abundant proteins in tooth enamel extracellular matrix (ECM), are essential for tooth amelogenesis. The nucleotide sequence of amelogenin gene (AMEL) for rabbit, as an important member of mammals and good continuously growing incisor model, is important for comparative and evolutional study. Previous studies about rabbit amelogenin proteins got no consensus yet even as to their existence or size.

A comprehensive expression profile of micrornas in rat's pituitary.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of small, non-coding RNA molecules that act as a negative regulator of most mRNAs. miRNAs influence the gene expression as transcriptional regulators and play an important role in many fundamental biological processes. It is generally acknowledged that miRNAs have a very important affection on mammalian pituitary.

Naturally occurring genetic mutations in the 5'-upstream regulatory region of bovine FSHB generate a novel cis-regulatory element that affects its expression.

We previously reported that numerous naturally occurring genetic mutations in the 5'-upstream regulatory region (5'-URR) of the bovine follicle-stimulating hormone beta-subunit gene (FSHB) were associated with reduced serum follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) levels, poor-quality semen and low fertility in bulls. In addition, two different FSHB mRNA transcripts resulting from the linked mutations of genomic DNA were discovered in mutation-bearing bull pituitaries. Here, using electrophoretic mobility shift assay, we identified c.

Mass loss and chemical structures of wheat and maize straws in response to ultraviolet-B radiation and soil contact.

The role of photodegradation, an abiotic process, has been largely overlooked during straw decomposition in mesic ecosystems. We investigated the mass loss and chemical structures of straw decomposition in response to elevated UV-B radiation with or without soil contact over a 12-month litterbag experiment. Wheat and maize straw samples with and without soil contact were exposed to three radiation levels: a no-sunlight control, ambient solar UV-B, and artificially elevated UV-B radiation.

Expression of microRNA‑26b and identification of its target gene EphA2 in pituitary tissues in Yanbian cattle.

microRNAs (miRNAs/miRs) are a class of single‑stranded non‑coding RNA molecules of 19‑24 nucleotides (nt) in length. They are widely expressed in animals, plants, bacteria and viruses. Via specific mRNA complementary pairing of target genes, miRNAs are able to regulate the expression of mRNA levels or inhibit protein translation following transcription.

MiR-378 Plays an Important Role in the Differentiation of Bovine Preadipocytes.

Background: Adipocyte, the main cellular component of white adipose tissue, plays a vital role in energy balance in higher eukaryotes. In recent years, adipocytes have also been identified as a major endocrine organ involved in immunological responses, vascular diseases, and appetite regulation. In farm animals, fat content and categories are closely correlated with meat quality.

Comparative analysis of potassium deficiency-responsive transcriptomes in low potassium susceptible and tolerant wheat (Triticum aestivum L.).

Potassium (K(+)) deficiency as a common abiotic stress can inhibit the growth of plants and thus reduce the agricultural yields. Nevertheless, scarcely any development has been promoted in wheat transcriptional changes under K(+) deficiency. Here we investigated root transcriptional changes in two wheat genotypes, namely, low-K(+) tolerant "Tongzhou916" and low-K(+) susceptible "Shiluan02-1".

Critical evaluation of particle size distribution models using soil data obtained with a laser diffraction method.

Mathematical descriptions of classical particle size distribution (PSD) data are often used to estimate soil hydraulic properties. Laser diffraction methods (LDM) now provide more detailed PSD measurements, but deriving a function to characterize the entire range of particle sizes is a major challenge. The aim of this study was to compare the performance of eighteen PSD functions for fitting LDM data sets from a wide range of soil textures.

Differences in chemical composition of soil organic carbon resulting from long-term fertilization strategies.

Chemical composition of soil organic carbon (SOC) is central to soil fertility. We hypothesize that change in SOC content resulting from various long-term fertilization strategies accompanies the shift in SOC chemical structure. This study examined the effect of fertilization strategies along with the time of fertilizer application on the SOC composition by 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy.

Synthesis and biological evaluations of a series of thaxtomin analogues.

Thaxtomins are a unique family of phytotoxins with unique 4-nitroindole and diketopiperazine fragments possessing potential herbicidal activities. This work presents the total synthesis of natural product thaxtomin C and its analogues. The extensive structure-activity relationship study screens four effective compounds, including thaxtomin A and thaxtomin C.

Helix 8 of the ligand binding domain of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is essential for ligand binding.

Membrane association of estrogen receptors (ER) depends on cysteine palmitoylation and two leucines in the ligand binding domain (LBD), conserved in most steroid receptors. The role of this region, corresponding to helix 8 of the glucocorticoid receptor (GR) LBD, on membrane association of GR was studied in 4B cells, expressing endogenous GR, and Cos-7 cells transfected EGFP-GR constructs. 4B cells preloaded with radiolabeled palmitic acid showed no radioactivity incorporation into immunoprecipitated GR.

Autophagy and ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis may not be involved in the degradation of spermatozoon mitochondria in mouse and porcine early embryos.

The mitochondrial genome is maternally inherited in animals, despite the fact that paternal mitochondria enter oocytes during fertilization. Autophagy and ubiquitin-mediated degradation are responsible for the elimination of paternal mitochondria in Caenorhabditis elegans; however, the involvement of these two processes in the degradation of paternal mitochondria in mammals is not well understood. We investigated the localization patterns of light chain 3 (LC3) and ubiquitin in mouse and porcine embryos during preimplantation development.

The effects of demecolcine, alone or in combination with sucrose on bovine oocyte protrusion rate, MAPK1 protein level and c-mos gene expression level.

Aims: Our study aims to clarify the effects of demecolcine, alone or in combination with sucrose on bovine oocyte protrusion rate, MAPK1 protein level and c-mos gene expression level.

Methods: The effects of the demecolcine concentration, treatment duration, and synergistic effects with sucrose solution on the rate of membrane protrusions of bovine oocytes were investigated. Using real-time fluorescent quantitative PCR, western blot analysis, and immunofluorescence assays, the expression of the maternal c-mos gene, the protein level of mitogen-activated protein kinase 1 (MAPK1), and the change in the localization of spindles and nuclei during the demecolcine treatment were analyzed in bovine oocytes.

The MBD4 gene plays an important role in porcine adipocyte differentiation.

Background: MBD4 (methyl-CpG binding domain protein 4) is an important G: T glycosylase that can identify T-G mismatches. It plays a role in active demethylation through base excision repair. Overexpression of MBD4 gene can cause the demethylation of numerous genes, and the remethylation of MBD4-associated genes can occur when the MBD4 gene is knocked out.

Identification of differentially expressed proteins in the ovaries of menopausal women.

Purpose: This study investigated proteins differentially expressed in the ovaries of menopausal women in comparison to childbearing women.

Methods: Differential protein expression was screened by difference gel electrophoresis and 2-D SDS-PAGE. Four differentially expressed proteins were excised manually, identified by mass spectrometry and confirmed by immunoblot and immunohistochemistry.

The influence of long-term fertilization on cadmium (Cd) accumulation in soil and its uptake by crops.

Continuous application of organic and inorganic fertilizers can affect soil and food quality with respect to heavy metal concentrations. The risk of cadmium (Cd) contamination in a long-term (over 20 years) experimental field in North China with an annual crop rotation of winter wheat and summer maize was investigated. The long-term experiment had a complete randomized block design with seven fertilizer treatments and four replications.

Function of bacterial cells and their exuded extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) in virus removal by red soils.

The potential influence of autochthonous microorganisms on virus fate in soil is usually determined through extreme conditions of sterilization vs. nonsterilization; however, the relative importance of microbial cells and their exudates remains unclear. In this study, bacterial cells (cell) were harvested, and their exuded extracellular polymeric substances (EPS) were extracted from three strains of bacteria, namely, Gram-negative bacteria Pseudomonas putida and Pseudomonas aeruginosa as well as Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis.

Presence of bacteria in aqueous solution influences virus adsorption on nanoparticles.

Virus contamination in wastewater is usually accompanied by the existence of various bacteria. Nanoparticles (NPs) have been shown to efficiently remove virus. In this study, bacterial cells, supernatants, and cultures were harvested separately from three strains at the culture ages of 6 and 24 h, corresponding to the log and stationary phases, respectively.

Silencing of ADIPOQ efficiently suppresses preadipocyte differentiation in porcine.

Aims: Our study aims to characterize the functions of the ADIPOQ gene in the process of fat deposition of pigs, thereby providing a basis for the use of this gene as a molecular marker for pork quality.

Methods: We used healthy Junmu1 piglets less than 7 days of age to establish an in vitro culture system for porcine preadipocytes. Chemically synthesized short hairpin RNAs (shRNA) were transfected into porcine preadipocytes to silence the expression of the ADIPOQ gene.

[Use of open-path TDL technique and the backward Lagrangian stochastic model to monitor ammonia emission from summer maize field].

The backward Lagrangian stochastic dispersion model in conjunction with open-path tunable diode absorption spectroscopy was used to quantify ammonia emissions from farmland based on the high-temporal resolution data, aiming to provide innovative achievements to diagnose patterns of ammonia flux. The results indicate that the bLS dispersion technique using open-path lasers to measure atmospheric ammonia concentrations is suitable for determining ammonia emissions from farmland continuously, especially for characterizing diurnal characteristics of NH3 emissions. The ammonia emissions have a significant diurnal pattern with two emission peaks from urea applied to maize on a calcareous sandy loam fluvo-aquic soil in the North China Plain.

Folic acid-functionalized mesoporous silica nanospheres hybridized with AIE luminogens for targeted cancer cell imaging.

Fluorescent nanoparticles (FNPs) have been found to be useful as visualization tools for biological sensing, probing, imaging, and monitoring. Applied to targeted cancer cell imaging, FNPs are highly desirable for early stage cancer diagnosis and treatment. However, the light emission from most of the FNPs reported is severely limited because of the aggregation-caused quenching (ACQ) effect.